Prince William supervisors give Silver Lake to Park Authority
Not everybody got exactly what they wanted after a public hearing about Silver Lake, but everybody should be happy with the end result, said Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart.
“Everybody should feel good,” said Stewart, R-at large. “We are at last going to open the darn thing up.”
The supervisors voted 7-0 Tuesday to give the 230-acre property on Antioch Road, near Haymarket, to the Prince William County Park Authority.
Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, R-Dumfries, was absent from the meeting.
The Park Authority plans to open the park, including the trails and lake, to the public within three to four months, Park Authority Executive Director Jay Ellington said.
Just about everybody who spoke during a public hearing before the vote agreed that Silver Lake should be reserved for passive recreation and horseback riding.
But there was some disagreement about what exactly passive recreation includes and what restrictions should be placed on the land.
Supervisor Michael May, R-Occoquan, proposed an alternative motion that would have placed deed restrictions on the land.
The deed restrictions would have listed specific uses for the park, including jogging, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, picnicking and fishing, and would have allowed the Board of County Supervisors to take back the land if the Park Authority didn’t follow the restrictions.
May’s motion to give the land to the Park Authority with those restrictions failed with a 2-5 vote. May and Marty Nohe, R-Coles, voted in favor of the motion.
Supervisor John Stirrup, R-Gainesville, said the deed restrictions would place an “unprecedented level of micromanagement on the Park Authority.”
“Why do we have a Park Authority if the board is going to be micromanaging?” he said.
Supervisor Frank Principi, D-Woodbridge, said he agreed that Silver Lake should be kept for passive recreation, but he didn’t think deed restrictions were the way to do it.
“I’m not certain we want to use a sledge hammer when a hammer would be sufficient,” Principi said.
Ellington said the Park Authority will partner with scouts, equestrian groups and other local volunteer groups to develop a trail system in the park.
In the future, when more funding is available, the Park Authority could further develop the park, possibly adding a camp store, marina and outdoor classroom, according to their proposal.
“We look forward to opening our newest and largest park in the fall of this year,” Ellington said in a statement. “We will begin the master planning process for this park, within the next 120 days and ask the citizens of Prince William County to join us in this process.”
Silver Lake will be the Park Authority’s 67th park.
The county has owned the 230-acre Silver Lake property since December 2006, when Toll Brothers, a developer that built the nearby Dominion Valley subdivision, proffered it to the county, but it has not yet been opened to the public.
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Do the wrong thing—that was tacky, even for you. You have no shame. You have bashed each supervisor on here except your 2 Stirrup and Stewart boys.
That woman was recognized for her work in the community. She has spent hours working with the Neighborhood study groups. She doesn’t have to agree with your lord and master on every issue. She is still his constituent. I have never heard her speak badly of him. You must be thinking of someone else.
Are you telling us that we cannot ever disagree with the Gainesville supervisor without having to ‘pay?‘ Somehow, I don’t think he would like you spreading that idea.
Do the Right Thing,
While you were here lying and bashing an individual whose name was made public, that ‘other woman’ has been managing an entire team of volunteers from out of town. She deserves every bit of praise she has received in citizens time.
Time for you to put away your politics of personal destruction and character assassination. The lady in question is not sitting around blogging all day not is she commenting here. She works full time and still finds time to bring innovative plans into Prince William and Manassas to help her community.
You know nothing about multiple identities. From my name, you know I do. I have seen you here making a fool out of yourself calling out the wrong people. Find something constructive to do.
The lady you bash has a genuine interest in her native PW community.
Let’s hope it doesn’t turn into horse lake dung park.
Congratulations to Mrs. Allison Kipp and the other lady who received recognition from Supervisor Stirrup for their efforts with the ongoing clean-up at Westgate.
The “other woman” was busy blogging under her “multiple personalities” bashing Supervisor Stirrup over the Silver Lake issue at the same time he was acknowledging her contribution. Her actions and lies on this blog site in regards to Supervisor Stirrup are despicable and have not gone unnoticed.
reedkickball.
I am also looking forward to being able to use Silver Lake. Lets hope other elected officials outside of the Gainesville District and their blog friends stop trying to “stir-up trouble” for the residents.
Glad it’s finally turned over to the citizens of PWC.
Can’t wait until it’s open to hike the trails, and enjoy the new park.
It will be most enlightening to see what becomes of Silver Lake, who we can trust and who we can’t.
Too bad that this piece of land has become so political—Inexcusable that it has taken this long.
Once again, the majority of the BOCS(5-2 vote) agreed with citizens and not with those who attempted to garner support through a petition generated by Supervisor May’s fellow board members on the Prince William Conservation Alliance, and on the blogshere.
Thank you to Chairmen Stewart,
Supervisors Covington,Stirrup,Jenkins, and Principi for once again “Doing the Right Thing,“ and not listening to those who don’t represent the majority of residents on this important issue.
You might want to check how Principi voted on that one, laughing boy.
It will be nice to have Silver Lake open again after being closed for so long.
Marty Nohe trying to sneak in their with only the best business interests at heart. As for Principi he has no clue since he supports illegal immigrants and their pursuit of jobs and crime. LOL Chris Cummings
Advertisement